Saturday, January 30, 2010

Another drama that i have been eagerly waiting for is "Code Blue 2" which has started showing in Japan. I have started watching it online at http://www.mysoju.com/code-blue-2/ and those who loves medical drama like me should also watch it.

It has been one and a half years since Aizawa Kosaku, Shiraishi Megumi, Hiyama Mihoko and Fujikawa Kazuo were assigned to Shoyo University’s North Hospital. They have only three months left of their fellowship programme (specialised training programme) to be flight doctors and each of them have come to the crossroads where they have to think of their lives after graduation.

Aizawa, who has only one relative – a grandmother currently in a nursing home, starts having doubts about his duties and cannot find a clear direction for his future. Meanwhile, Shiraishi Megumi is unable to forget the past. She had caused their former teacher, Kuroda Shuji, to have his right arm amputated. Then Tachibana Keisuke, a veteran flight doctor, takes up a new post. He has been put in charge of certifying the fellowship programme which will decide their future.

I have been watching this new TV series "Glee" which started showing on cable TV Star World Channel 18 about 2 weeks ago (every Wednesdays, 9pm) and it tells the story of an optimistic teacher who against all odds and a malicious cheerleading coach's attempts tries to save McKinley High's Glee Club from obscurity while helping a group of aspiring underdogs realize their true star potential.

I have been following the series as i love its interesting and meaningful plot and the songs featured in the series. The first season of Glee consist of 22 episodes and i found out online that Fox TV has commissioned a second season of the show and i'm already looking forward to watching season 2 :> Watching the show makes me ponder over the difficult choices that one has to make in life whether as a student or as an adult choosing what they want in life and how they are all affected by peer pressures and the influences of their loves one. The dilemma faced by Will in choosing to continue to follow his dream of being a lowly paid high school teacher and sticking with the Glee club against the wish of his demanding and unhappy wife is what alot of us are facing in real life but in the form of society which i sometimes hate and i find myself cheering him on as he tries to continue with what he believes in the series :> Just do whatever you believe in as life is short and there is no time for regret!

Next time you’re obsessing about another holiday eggnog or chocolate bombe cake a la mode, ask yourself this: "Would I shove that stuff into a friend’s body?" Mouth too full to answer? Use these strategies to nix bad habits and eat right:

Get lost (in your mind). When you want to eat to feel better, walk around the block (go ahead and put on your boots; we’ll wait), and think about the bad feelings that are driving you to the fridge. Maybe you can start sorting them out instead of hiding them behind 3 extra inches of abdominal fat. If the walk isn’t enough, try meditation or prayer. For some people, these calming focusers quiet the subconscious drive to eat.

Plan. Big decisions about food need to be made in the supermarket, not in your kitchen. Avoid filling your home with junk and it’ll be easier to eat right. Shop the edges of the supermarket rather than the middle.

Pay it forward. One of the keys to waist-size success is how you balance two competing forces -- immediate gratification (those chips) versus delayed gratification (a better body, better sex, fewer wrinkles, not to mention a longer life!). It’s tough because immediate gratification is hard to resist. So try flipping the immediate gratification into a long-term consequence and turning the delayed gratification into an immediate, visual picture. Like this: Think hard about the negative consequences of the chips (picture a clogged artery). Now, visualize yourself two sizes smaller with all the grandchildren you want (or just Brad Pitt or Megan Fox lying next to you).

Monday, January 25, 2010

I wrote about this popular Korean MBC period drama (62 episodes) "Queen Seon Deok" last year and it will finally be shown on Starhub cable TV channel 55 on 9 February 2010, 10.30pm after such a long wait!!! The DVD set is available at the videostore but i find it too expensive and I'm definitely going to catch the drama on TV. One of my favourite Korean actress Lee Yo Won stars as Princess Duk Man, later Queen Seon Duk. The drama was shown in Korea from 25 May 2009 to 22 December 2009.
The story of a beautiful queen, who has to give up her love to save the people. With historical battle scenes and a star-studded cast, Queen Seondeok of Silla is the follow-up historical drama to MBC’s “Lee San: Wind of the Palace” and “Prince of Legend” for 2009! This drama is abiopic of Queen Seondeok, who was born a princess and later became the ruler of Silla, leaving behind many brilliant achievements.

Dukman was born a twin but was abandoned as a baby and sent to a place far away by her father, King Jinpyeong in order to protect her from being killed by an influenced royal court lady, Mishil who tries to snatch away the throne from the royal successor. Dukman was later brought back to the Silla palace, where she joined forces with her twin sister Princess Cheonmyong to oppose Mishil. However, Mi-shil devised sinister plans to have the two Silla princesses exiled from the kingdom, and in a secretive battle, Princess Cheonmyong was assassinated by Mi-shil.

But Princess Dukman shrewdly enlisted the help of General Kim Yusin and eliminated her archenemy Mishil. She then became Queen Seon Duk, the first female ruler of the Silla kingdom. This drama is about a story of a beautiful queen, who has to give up her love to save the people and thus, leaving behind many brilliant achievements.

More information about the characters in the drama:

Princess Deokman / Queen Seondeok (actress Lee Yo-won)
“The queen is my destiny”
After surviving many crises in her life, she finally became the ruler of Silla. Her loyal followers included General Kim Yusin and Kim Chunchu. She became the first female ruler in Korea’s history and laid the foundation for the unification of the three kingdoms under Silla.
She was born as the twin sister of Princess Chonmyong and had a close brush with death as a baby due to the attempted assassination by Mi-shil, who had ambitions for the throne. A loyal servant named So-hwa rescued her by fleeing the kingdom with her. She was raised outside of the kingdom and when she turned 15, she learned that she was a Silla princess. So she returned to Silla to meet her parents.

Mi-shil (actress Koh Hyun-jung)
Archenemy of Queen Seondeok. As a beautiful seductress, she held sway over kings and the elite Hwarang corps. Her duty was to promote the children of the noble class to high positions, but instead she used her beauty to seduce King Jinheung and King Jinpyeong to wield enormous power. But Princess Chonmyong and Princess Deokman opposed her and stopped her from becoming the ruler.

Kim Yusin (actor Uhm Tae-woong)
A great Silla general. With a handsome face and outstanding battle skills, he became the leader of the elite Hwarang corps. With a grand vision of unifying the three kingdoms under Silla’s rule, he aligns himself with Princess Deokman who puts her complete trust in him. Princess Deokman later fell in love with Kim Yusin but they were unable to be together due to a twist of fate.

Princess Cheonmyeong (actress Park Ye-jin)
She was born as Princess Deokman’s twin sister but only she was chosen to live in the palace as a princess. She grew up with everything she could desire. Due to Mi-shil’s influence, she lived quietly in the palace, but she possessed charisma and intelligence. After learning that she had a twin sister, she and Princess Deokman were reunited. While trying to reinstate her sister as a princess, she was assassinated by Mi-shil.

Bidam (actor Kim Nam-gil)
Although he was the son of Mi-shil, he helped Princess Deokman become the ruler. When he saw that Princess Deokman trusted Kim Yusin more than him, he became jealous and led a revolt against Kim Yusin.

Channel U will be showing Jerry Yan's latest romance comedy (25 episodes drama) from 6 February 2010, every Saturdays, 9.30pm and i'm looking forward to watching the drama as i like Jerry Yan since his F4 days as he is so dashing and cute!

He plays the character of Shiang Yu Ping, an expert divorce and inheritance lawyer, who is seen by others as cold, selfish, and ruthless. After Yu-ping’s older brother dies in a car accident he has little choice in taking in his brother's two orphaned children, Fei and Ting. Every nanny he hires to care for them is either scared off by the mischievous children or ends up falling in love with him. Fed up, Yu Ping asks his secretary, Yang Duo, to find a nanny that meets his requirements.

Having lost all their wealth when their mother passed away and being abandoned by their father after racking up heavy debts; Yang Duo can not ignore the fact that she needs the money and recommends her younger sister, Yang Guo, for the job; assuring Yu Ping that her tomboyish sister will not fall in love with him by lying that she does not like men at all.

I found this interesting product while shopping at the NBC store (basement) at Raffles City and could not resist buying it home to try. There are different colors and design to choose from and i love the bookchair as it enables me to read a book while eating without having to hold on to the book. The price is abit expensive at S$32/- but i like the design and feel it is worth the price.

Keep your skeleton strong and fracture-free by serving that calcium supplement with a salad on the side.

Salad? Yep, salad. A 4-year study found that older adults with the highest intakes of carotenoids -- think tomatoes, carrots, and leafy greens for major sources -- retained more bone mineral density than folks eating fewer fruits and veggies.

Antioxidant Bone ProtectionFruits and vegetables are bursting with antioxidants called carotenoids -- including compounds like lycopene, beta carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, to name a few. Don't bother trying to pronounce them. Just know that veggie-stacked salads will probably provide your daily needs and then some. (Not a fan of raw? Here are two veggies that are actually better for you when cooked.)

How They WorkCarotenoids may protect bones by stymieing the oxidative stress thought to play a role in age-related weakening of bones. Carotenoids may also act synergistically with vitamin D to boost bone-cell growth. Still need more reasons to eat extra fruits and veggies? Try these:

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Fruit, veggies, exercise -- they all make the heart-healthy list. And now, according to a new study, so does this breakfast staple: cereal.

But we're not talking about Cocoa Puffs. We're talking about whole-grain cereals -- like steel-cut oats, shredded wheat, or muesli. Men in a study who noshed at least once a week on whole-grain cereals were significantly less likely to experience heart failure.

Longer Life in Every Bowl?Several studies suggest that it's the fiber in whole-grain cereals that may quell risk factors for heart failure, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and obesity. The other heart-protective habits addressed in the study: maintaining a healthy body weight, exercising regularly, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, drinking alcohol only in moderation, and not smoking. (Here's another health benefit to eating breakfast cereal.)

A Combo Protects BestMen who practiced at least four of the six lifestyle habits on the study's heart-healthy list cut their risk for heart failure in half. So start stacking the odds in your heart's favor with these heart-helping strategies:

Thursday, January 21, 2010

If you're craving carbohydrates but watching your weight, go for the chilled variety. When foods like potatoes and rice are cooked, then cooled, resistant starch is formed. "This form of starch won't raise your blood sugar and insulin levels as much or as rapidly as other carbohydrates," says Hope Warshaw, dietician and author of Eat Out, Eat Right. Sushi, cold pasta or potato salads make for light but satisfying lunch options. Just remember to go easy on the mayo!

Shopping for a new abode? Pick one near a park. Living within 1km of a green space improves your health in many ways, according to research published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Being close to greenery was found to reduce the risk of anxiety, heart disease, diabetes, asthma and migraines, among other diseases.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Here's another reason to enjoy the yummy, spicy kick of curry dishes: A research from Duke University in North Carolina found evidence that people who eat a meal with curry twice or thrice a week have a lower risk of dementia. Curcumin, a component of turmeric, which is a common ingredient in curry, aids in dissolving the plaque in brain cells that lead to dementia.

Search This Blog

About Me

Welcome and thanks for visiting my blog. I will be sharing the things that i love and makes me happy and fun home learning activities and outings that i do with my toddler J. I can be reached at email: janicechen@rocketmail.com.